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Monday, June 12, 2017

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel: Book Review

Title: The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus

Author: Lee Strobel

Publication Details: August 30th 1998 by Zondervan (first published 1988)

Genre: Non-fiction, Christian

Using the dramatic scenario of an investigative journalist pursuing his story and leads, Lee Strobel uses his experience as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune to interview experts about the evidence for Christ from the fields of science, philosophy, and history.

I read The Case for Christ during the Holy Week. It's been sitting on my shelf for a quite a while. Haha! I'm glad I finally had the chance to read this gem. Reading this book strengthened my faith, just like how the pursuit of historical and/or geographical evidence strengthened the faith of the Bible scholars and experts.

The author used to be a skeptic, and using a his skills as a journalist he set out to investigate the case for Christ. I thought it will be a difficult read because it might get too technical, but I actually had a smooth reading experience. I liked how the author explained how he's going on about the case, how he decided to tackle the issue, step by step. I loved how the case builds up, strengthening the argument through different evidences and approach.

Evidences/Approach Used in the Case for Christ:

Eyewitness Evidence

Documentary Evidence

Corroborating Evidence

Scientific Evidence

Rebuttal Evidence

Identity Evidence

Psychological Evidence

Profile Evidence

Fingerprint Evidence

Medical Evidence

Circumstantial Evidence

Each interview with the scholars inspired me to study more about the Bible. And just like what I've mentioned, their accounts strengthened my faith. I was left amazed by how everything points out to the authenticity of the story of Jesus. So amazing! However, I don't think the book can be used to win a non-believer to Jesus. I think that is not really the purpose of The Case for Christ. But it might get a non-believer to open up and prompt him/her to do his/her own study. 😊

Another element I liked is the use of real-life cases and relating it to the topic! It made my reading more enjoyable and interesting.

Since the writing style is like a walk-through to the case, it's lacking of more personal experience of the author, of how he came to be a Christian and the emotions and the struggles behind it. I think that would add extra points to the book. But nonetheless, I still loved this book!

I did not take down notes while I was reading, but I hope to do it the second time I read this. And I am sure that I'll be reading more of the author's works! 😁

Lee Patrick Strobel (born January 25, 1952) is an American Christian author, journalist, apologist and pastor. He has written several books, including four which received ECPA Christian Book Awards (1994, 1999, 2001, 2005) and a series which addresses challenges to a Biblically inerrant view of Christianity. Strobel also hosted a television program called Faith Under Fire on PAX TV, and runs a video apologetics web site. Strobel has been interviewed on numerous national television programs, including ABC's 20/20, Fox News, and CNN. (Goodreads)